The separation of church and state has been an issue longer than America has been a country. Today many people believe that having the phrase ‘Under God’ in our pledge of allegiance is a violation of the first amendment and a mishmash of church and state; however, many people have proven this to be inaccurate. The Pledge as a whole has a secular purpose because it is primarily a patriotic observance, not a religious one. In August 1892, Francis Bellamy, a CHRISTIAN socialist, wrote the original Pledge of Allegiance without any mention of God or Christianity, in hopes of it being recited by citizens in any country. It read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” and in 1923 it was changed to “I …show more content…
AHA President Mel Lipman even went as far to say that "the practice of reciting the Pledge in public schools specifically targets children, inculcating them with a monotheistic message not held by millions of Americans (Hunter)." However, in a speech on faith and politics, President Barack Obama proclaimed that “a sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation - context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase "under God." I didn't.” This goes to show that reciting the pledge everyday isn’t intended to and doesn’t persuade a religion on the children saying